What is text neck?

Text neck is posture in which the neck is bent forward and down as someone looks at their handheld phone or device. If this posture is held for an extended amount of time, it can strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the neck, causing pain and stiffness.

More alarmingly, chronic text neck may lead to premature degeneration in the cervical spine, bone spurs, and muscle deformity. This is especially alarming for young people’s spines. Their spines are still growing and developing, and experts aren’t sure what impact this can have over the course of years or decades.

In addition to text neck, Pokémon Go players are in danger of tripping and falling by walking while looking their phones. Don’t get so wrapped up in the game that you’re not watching where you’re going, especially on busy streets or sidewalks.

Finally, seriously hard-core players may be putting themselves at risk for shin splints if they’re walking much more than usual. Check out this article about recognizing and treating shin splints on our sister site Sports-health.

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The information on Spine-health.com is not intended as a substitute for medical professional help or advice but is to be used only as an aid in understanding spine and spine related conditions.